AN AREA of important natural beauty will be protected for future generations.

Oak Mere, near Cuddington, has been included on the list of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) by the European Commission in its bid to protect the best examples of plant and animal life across the continent.

The site, one of 600 chosen for protection, was originally identified by English Nature.

The announcement implements the much-delayed 1992 Habitats Directive, widely regarded as Europe's most important nature conservation law. It requires governments to ensure human activities do not threaten the survival of habitats or species in SACs unless there are reasons of 'overriding public interest' to do so. Failure to meet this obligation could result in member states being taken to the European Court of Justice.

Oak Mere is home to some of the 205 habitat types and 286 animal and plant species across Europe which have been identified as requiring protection to ensure their survival.

In Britain all the locations have been declared Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), making it a criminal offence to carry out works such as road-building, tree-clearance or pond-drainage without the consent of English Nature. The inclusion as an SAC strengthens the protection.

Northwich, Winsford and Middlewich Euro-MP Chris Davies, the Liberal Democrat environment spokesman in the European Parliament, said the announcement was a landmark in EU nature conservation.

He said: 'Originally the UK Government proposed to nominate only 200 sites, but they were told firmly by the botanists and biologists working for the European Commission that the plan would not be sufficient to guarantee the survival of endangered species throughout the country. This much extended list is great news.

'It's too easy for governments to talk fine words about nature protection but to do nothing in practice to curb activities that may threaten it. Now whether it's in Spain or France or Britain, environ-mentalists can point to the special European importance of these sites and turn to the courts to defend them.'